Depression gone but no drink

betly · Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Posts: 25

I've been taking Cipralex (escitalopram - close relative of Citalopram) for about 2 months now and I'm not suffering from any side-effects really. I feel fine and my depression seems to have lifted.

The only thing is I can't drink any alcohol at all. I didn't used to drink very much before - just a glass of wine with my evening meal or whilst watching a movie, but now I just don't want to drink even that.

It's really weird - I can't describe the feeling - it's like a sort of aversion to the stuff - I just don't fancy it anymore. If my husband pours me a glass I don't drink it.

Has anybody else noticed this side-effect?

pope · Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Posts: 36

You shouldn't drink at all on antidepressants anyways as it will stop your medication from working and make things a hell of a lot worse.

Trust me on that one LOL.

Antidepressants work on your brain receptors and adding alcohol (depressant) or strong caffeine as well REALLY screws things up.

betly · Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Posts: 25

Agree with you, last time I was on prozac & had a drink - I had a severe panic attack (never had that before)

betly · Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Posts: 25

I'm on 40mg of Citalopram a day and enjoy a couple of glasses of white wine every lunchtime and maybe another couple in the evening.

I never have a hangover and sleep well (I reckon I'm one of the lucky ones on Citalopram who do ).

An added benefit I've found is that going to the pub at lunchtime for an hour gets me away from my desk and into social situations. I chat to a group of pensioners about their wartime experiences, grandkids, football, photography, politics - generally we put the world to rights!

I don't think I'd have managed to get this far into the Autumn without a combination of Citalopram, Chardonnay and Cameraderie!

betly · Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Posts: 25

Someone I know who is on fluoxetine (Prozac) finds it gives her very strong aversion to alcohol - she finds it repellant whereas liked it before.

Like her, I'm also on flextime but, like Chopper, I find I can have the odd small glass of wine with no problem. Gets me drunk quicker, and so I am cautious. Last night I gave myself an inch of nice sauvignon blanc and didn't finish it. Many nights I'll go without altogether. Now you mention it, I often don't 'fancy' a drink where normally I would.

The official line is 'restrict' alcohol intake. When I was younger I would sometimes go out and get properly smashed while taking prozac, and it wasn't pretty or fun.